ISU atmosphere ‘speaks for itself’

Cyclones credit home crowd after beating KU

Kansas guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) and guard Frank Mason walk to the bench before a backdrop of screaming Cyclones fans after an Iowa State three during the second half on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015 at Hilton Coliseum.

• Box score

Ames, Iowa ? During Saturday night’s 86-81 victory by 11th-ranked Iowa State over No. 9 Kansas, the Hilton Coliseum video board caught a quick glimpse of a flawless copy of the “Pay Heed” banner that hangs in the north end of Allen Fieldhouse.

However, instead of the tag line reading, “Beware of The Phog,” it read, “Beware of Hilton Magic.”

That may be viewed as blasphemy in Lawrence, but the guys in the red and gold uniforms in Ames on Saturday explained that they felt the same about their fans as the Jayhawks feel about theirs.

“This atmosphere speaks for itself,” said junior guard Naz Long, who led Iowa State with 20 points and was one of six Cyclones in double figures. “I truly feel like we have the best fans in the country and that’s why I came here from Day 1. They played such a big part in (the win).”

With ESPN’s College Gameday in the building for the first time in school history, a little more than 7,000 wild and crazy ISU fans showed up bright and early for the first taping and didn’t leave until the final score was in their favor and smiles were plastered on their faces.

“The whole buildup to this, with Gameday, I told those guys that they deserved getting a Gameday to come to this building and I told them to enjoy it,” said ISU coach Fred Hoiberg, who added that the noise at the start of the game was so intense that it “was literally hurting my ears.”

Of course, getting Gameday to come to town is only half of the battle, and it’s not nearly as fun if the guys at ESPN show up to watch the home team lose. That didn’t happen Saturday, thanks to Iowa State’s dominance in transition, hot shooting from the outside and, of course, the support of the home fans. Iowa State (13-3, overall, 3-1 Big 12) played with passion, precision and fire from start to finish.

“In order for us to compete with them for the league championship, we had to win this game,” Hoiberg said.

Added Long: “That’s who we are, man. That’s ‘Hoi Ball’ and it just worked out for the best.”

After one of Long’s three three-pointers on the night, Long popped the front of his jersey toward the fans and incited a wild celebration.

“That was just to show that Cyclone nation is second to none,” Long said. “I like to show my jersey and show the letters on the front because I truly believe that Iowa State is the best place to be at. Every time I do that, it’s just a big thank you.”

Despite not being known as a traditional powerhouse in either football or basketball, the Iowa State fans show up week in and week out, rain or shine, hot or cold. Naturally, Hoiberg and company appreciate the support when it fills Hilton Coliseum 15-20 times a year. But they recognize that it’s as much about supporting the school as it is a solitary program and that’s why they enjoy delivering the kind of memorable moments they made Saturday night.

“Some fans show up for big games,” Hoiberg said. “Our fans show up for every game.”